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Florida’s Yesawich, Harris Spar For Wyndham Resorts

ATLANTA – The field of hopefuls for the $5 million-plus advertising account of Wyndham Resorts has been reduced to two shops, including the incumbent, according to a client official. Gary Pugatch, vice president of sales and marketing for Wyndham’s resort division, confirmed the finalists are roster shop Yesawich, Pepperdine & Brown (YP&B) in Orlando, Fla., and Harris Drury Cohen (HDC) in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Out of the running are The Zimmerman Agency in Tallahassee, Fla., and The Richards Group in Dallas. Richards, the agency of record for Wyndham Hotels and Wyndham Garden Hotels, also handles corporate branding for the company. Its relationship with Wyndham dates back to 1997. Executives there declined to comment on the shop’s elimination from contention. Pugatch said compensation was among the issues being discussed with the two finalists. He added that a decision would likely come this week. Officials at YP&B and HDC could not be reached for comment on the review. Pugatch previously told Adweek that Richards’ existing assignments would not be affected, regardless of which agency won the resort business. Richards past work for Wyndham has consisted of a mix of television and print advertising. YP&B, which has a wealth of experience in the resort, travel and tourism sector, handles the resorts portion of the Wyndham business. HDC also comes to the pitch armed with a lengthy track record in the travel and tourism category, having represented hotels and resorts in the past. – with Katy Eckmann Davis and Nora FitzGerald